I remember the days when I was back at the American Academy of Art and I was painting in my parents basement with a florescent light only a foot away from my head. After all those years I am finally leasing a studio where I can now paint a painting any size I desire.
Are you doing your artwork at a kitchen table where you have to clean
up after you are done with your art.... it's time to get yourself a room or area of your house where you don't have to move stuff around every time you want to get creative. If you want to do some serious painting and you aren't a plein-air painter I would suggest you find a place in your house or away from your house that you can use as your studio.
A studio is a very important area for an artist and student artist to have. If a student has to work hard
on setting up their work space every time they want to create, more times then not the artist won't create or lose that spark they had for creating something that was on their mind at that moment. Make it easy for yourself to create at any moment and I find that when I have stuff set up and not put away, I work more on creating.
A drawing table or easel in a room where you can keep stuff out and not have to put it away after every session is what you want. It doesn't
have to be a fancy place, it just needs good lighting and enough space for you to stand back from your work to look at it from a distance. Having your own space/studio, no matter what size small or large can really help you when it comes to being that creative person.
Lighting is number one when it comes to importance in your studio. I have found that a florescent light on the ceiling with a warm and a cool light works best for those on a tight budget. Tables and
easels come in so many styles so choose whatever fits you best. Many artists I know don't use either, they use the wall for hanging their canvas and the floor for painting large canvases and large watercolors. A nice cart or taboret is something you want for holding your palette and stuff, keep everything on wheels.
Some things I don't think you should have in your work space is your office. Leave your phone and computer and distractions in another room or if they
are in the same room turn them off. I use to have my computer and phone in my studio and it is amazing how often a phone would ring or I would check my emails and facebook feed. Those things are important to have but when you are creating it is a distraction that you don't need....TURN OFF ELECTRONICS, DON'T GET DISTRACTED WHILE CREATING!
The image below is of my new space, gallery and classroom in
McHenry, Illinois. This is how it looks now, I will need to make a few fixes on the lighting, bathroom and walls but it a dream come true for me. Now I can't wait to get in there and paint!
Here's to a great studio space for every artist
David
